Exhauster for canned goods



June 3, 1930. c. F. COLBERT EXHAUSTER FOR CANNED GOODS Filed s t. 1:5, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l HTTURHEI June 3, 1930. Q COLBERT, 1,762,129

EJXI-IAUS'JJI'JR FOR CANNED GOODS Filed Sept. 13, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q H i-umJap June 3, 1930. c. F. COLBERT 1,762,129

EXHA USTE R FOR CANNED GOODS FiledSept. 13, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Z7 w y Patented Jess iieae a Limits srA r-ss I nxrrnpsrnn FOR PAT Q -F I CLARENCE r. consent; or ;BA TIMonajr/rnRvLArm, assreifroejro zns'rnow f ma CHINE COMPANY, ENG, OFBALTIMOBE,' MARYLAND:A-jCORPORATlON or 11mm:

@ N EDI DS Y I: r

, lhis invention relatesto improvements in canning machines and is more particularly .h'nown in-the canningfart as an ,exhauster,

inithat it is designed to receive cans which have" been filled, but not capped or headed, and by heating the-contents of the cans expel I or exhaust the air from the cans prior to their final closure.

The. main objects of, the. present invention" are to provide ancimproved machine,"whi ch may be installed in a line with filling niachines whereby, the filled, but open-endcans may be passed throughthe eXhau'ster withontinterruption and a's-fast as they are sup plied by the fillers; to provide. an improved v-ma'chine wherebythe heat container therein will be checked from direct escape at the em trance and discharge openings and that by improved means, the filled cans willbe caused the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,- I

steam pipe on the'bottom.

- to travel in a circuitous route throughfthe the entrance exhanster while passing from to the discharge. I 7 7 it-h these, and other objects in view,

' Fig. 1' shows the machine in top 'view,vthe' cover being-removed. g i

2 shows the same incentral vertical cross-section. v V

' Sillustrates another plan view showing the stud shafts and gears directly over the bottom "ofthe machine; the turn table a and rollers that support and rotate it and the Fig. lillustrates, on an enlarged scale, and in plan one group of three can carriers with the transmission gear between them,- Wit-lithe turn-table and its compartment around-them and the guides for holding the cans and di recting them from one carrier to another, and

Fig. 5 shows fayertical sectional: detail through a portion of the exhauster cas'ing and its cover,and also through theturn-table;

a portion of onecan carrier and its actuating gear. V j v In carrying out the invention thereis provided a circular shell '10,'-supported in an elevated and 'herizontal position bysuit'able legs 11.

The shell has an annular outervertical Y 12 withginletiand exit i openings through, the

sideflthereofat 13 anddfl respectively; 1 l

The upper edge of theouter annulariwall '12has'an annular reinforcing ring-attached" .per edge with anannular groove 15f0r. water 1 f.

thereto and thisring is provided on its upwhereby it may receive the rim. edge 16 of a cover member 17-, and thus effect a sufliciently tight seal around'the edgeof the cover to prevent the escape vofan appreciable quantityofsteam which it isdesiredto retain in the shell as will presently'more fully appear. A horizontal channel beam 18, e1 :tend's. di-' ametrically across the-top of the shell,afrom one side to. theother, so that thedriving shaftsandpulleys may be conveniently-car;

riedthereby, and the. ,cover-members, of

passes through the shell of'the 'exhauster and extends below thef'bottom. of the' latter. 1

' The upper endo'f this vertical drive-shaft 21, carries a worm-gear 22which1' latteri's enclosed in therec'essi20, and a'wworm 23 on .a horizontal'pulley-shaftv2 l drives the worm gear 22 and vertical shaft. 7

Fast and loose pulleys 2 5 and 2:6 on-the If shaft 24 enable the latter to be driven by a 'belt or permitsaid shaft to remainidle as 'ing means including a lever 27.;

' The main vertical shaft 21 passes through" a collar 28, which latter, seats on the bottom 29 of the shell andjust'above this collar, the

saidshaft carries a gear 30 which revolves in r a horizontal plane as shownin Fig. 2.

provided with a central vertical post 31 and a series of similar posts 32, 33,- 84-, 35, 36 and I 37 all of which postsolf. said series-are arranged in a circular path about'the said Central post 31, and all of said posts, in the pres: entinstance, are stationary;

.f 'Onsthefcentral vertical post 31 'fllerefis desired through the operation of a belt-shift-i a l The bottom 29'o'f the exhauster shell is I I disks travel close to the periphery f 1;

' a vertical st 44 on w 'mounted a horizontal rotary disk 38. This central disk is provided on its under side with a continuous series of depending pins 39 having the function of teeth, and the diamtwo carrier-disks also have pins depending "from their under sides and servingas teeth and the diameters of these disks are such that their depending teeth or pins will also be engaged by the teeth of gear 30 so that the three disks 38, 40 and 41 will all be driven or revolved by the one gear 30 on the vert cal i shaft 21.

These three disks, 38,40 and 41 all have position in the same horizontal plane, so that 'cans'may be passed from one disk to another dnringftheir travel through the shell as will presently more clearly appear.

On posts 34=and 35 are mounted two more CELTTlQY-dlSkS 42' and 43, and these disks also haveipins depending from'their' under sides. These disks arealso arranged in the same horizontal plane as the center and the side disks and 41, and the peripheries otall' the he center disk. 7 I Between the disks 42, 43 and the center disk 38, as shown in Fig. 1 of the dra'wing,there is rich there is a horizon'tal gear 45.

This latter gear engages the teeth or pins 39 on the central disk-and also engages'the teeth or pins on the under sides of the disks '42 and'j43 so that as the center disk'38 is revolved, its teeth will dri'vethe gear 45, and the latter will then drivethe carrier disks 42'and43.

- Posts 36 and 37'sustain carrier-disks 46 and 47'which, like the other disks, have depending pins or teeth on their bottoms. The peripheries ofthese disks also travel close to the periphery out the center disk and these disks are also in the same horizontal plane as the central disk.

Between these disks 46 and 47, there'is another vertical. post-'48 on which a gear49 is "inounte'd andthis gear 49 engages the pins or "'teeth39 on the center diskand is driven by that disk. The: teeth of this gear 9 also engage the pins or teeth on the: two disks 46 and 47 and thus drive these two disks as the center disk 38 is driven. V 7

His thus to be understood that the center disk 38' and the two disks 40 and 41 are driven by the gear 39 on the main vertical shaft; that center disk-38 drives gear ;.that gear 45 in turn. drives disks 42 and 43; that the center disk also-drives gear'49-and that Zlis latter gear (49) then drives disks 46 and It will be noted, by reference to Fig. 1, that substantially triangular spaces are formed between the center disk and. adjacent disks of the surrounding series of disks and that I provide substantially triangular filler-blocks 50 to fill these spaces and form flush supporting surfacev with the periph cries of. the three disks which cause those spaces.

Three of these triangular ed, one on the main vertical shaft 21 and one on each of the posts 44 and 48, while the other three blocks are mounted respectively on posts 51, 52 and 53 which extend vertically from the bottom 29 of the exhanster shell.

The blocks carriedv on the main shaft and on the posts 44 and 48 have positions directly over the gears 30, 45 and 49 respectively.

Before discussing'the means for directing or guiding the cases from one disk to another,

other features of the machine will first be explained.

In carrying out the invention, I provide a ring-carrier or turn-table 54, which travels about-the entire series of carrier-disks and has position directly at the inner'side of e annular vertical wall: 12 of the exhans....:-

shell. V

L This ring is preferably cast in a continin cus ring-shape and has a central depending web 55, extending down from its under side, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 ofthe drawings.

The ring is supported" on the flanges off a plurality of horizontally disposed wheels hese wheels are carried on vertical posts 57 and. the central bottom web merely upon the wheel flanges which not only sup port the ring bntwhich, when the wheels revolved'cause the ring to travel horizontally and about the circular wall of the shell in the direction of thedarts shown in ll 1.

Each wheel '56 has a series 01? teeth 58 which latter'm'esh with andaredriven by the pins orteeth on the under sides of the car ricr-disks, for example, disks 41, 43 and so that in the present instance, the th' V the ring-carrier is entirely one of friction, though-the;invention is not to be restricted in this-respect. 7

it has ,hereinbeiore been pointed out that there are inlet and exit openings 1.3 and 14 to and from the annular wall 12 of the. shell through which cans may be fed to and removed rom the exhauster.

It is immaterial to the present invention just where these openings are situated or heir relative positions, but. in the present instance, they are shown adjacent to each .1. other.

At the inlet opening 13, there is provided a carrier-disk 59011 the same horizontal plane with the carrier-ring 54 so that cans may be carriediby the d1sk59 and. directedby a verlocks are mount tical guide-plateGO through-the opening 13 7 I v V I V and onto the carrier-ring. V cans to be diverted and transferred from the I In a similar manner, therefis provided a carrier-disk 61 at the outlet 14 from the shell 'and a guidefplate 62 directs thecans laterally through the outlet-opening from the-ring onto the disk 61;. V

' 7 On the interior of the exhauste rsshell and 7 immediately at, the inner circumference-of the carrier-ringo t; there is provided a ver-,

tical partition wall 63 which is supportediby suitable brackets 64 that extend vbottom 29fof the shell. I 1

up f e h Inthis instance, this vertical partition wall v r i p I [brackets 64 which sustain the partition wall 63 extends aroundthe interior of the-shell from one side of disk-carrier 42, all the way 7 around, past the two openings 13 and l l to the other side'oli the clisl -carrier 42. p T he provision or this partition forins'an annular ring-carrier chamber 65, from thelin-V let-opening l3aro'und to the carrier-disk 42 and from the outlet-opening '14- al'so around tothe carrier-disk 42.. 1 i The reason thisfpartitionextends to the carrier-disk 42 is that the cans are fed froin the I ring-carrier to the'series of-disksat disk42, f and are-also fed from the series of disks back to the ring -carrier atdisk iQ; y 7 -The purpose of thispart tion 63 1s to cut oil" COIIIIIHUHCEYCIOD dlrectly from the space overthe carrier disks to the inlet-and exit openings so that lthe steam which i's connecessary waste oif' steam'he'at.

tinuously admitted to'thei-nteri'or' of the shell will not have a directescape through said openings 13 and 14 and thus cause an un- The cans must theretore be carried substantially half way aroun,dthe shell on. the

ring-carrier before they aredischarged from the ring and started on the r 'ClYCBItQUSTOIItC through the exhausterp after which they are again fed onto :the ring at substantially the point WVhGI'G they leftih'and continue their travel with the ring forv the/remainder of the A steam pipe 66 is providedinthelowei' part of the .exhaustershell which pipehas a seriesofperforations therein whereby steam maybe discharged in the shell to effect a heating of thesame and also to heat'the cans and their contents as they travel throughjthe ex hauster. H a 7 Of course, water of condensation willv accumulate in the exhauster shell and the latter is therefore provided-with avalved overflow 67,'by which excess Water may escape.

When the filled cans are fedonto the ring. carrier from the carrier-disk 59, those cans will be conveyed by the ring-carrier around through the chamber65 until the cans contact with a director plate 68 (shown inFig, 1) Which projects from the annular Wallet the shell and extends over the ringcarrierbt and also over the. disk-carrier 4-2. This director plate has an edge 69 which curves inwardly over the disk-carrier Sand causes the fill d 1 moving ring carrier, onto the rotary diskfc'arrier42, so'thatthe cans willbediver v f I"7o"' 7; Over this carrier and mountedon thepost e and'moved onto said carrier 42.;

"34, is astationary' guide-plate -"('0 which keeps the cansawayifromthe center of the revolving carrierandcompels them toas'sume positions'on topofthe carrier near the outer periphe'ryloi the; latter,-fandto prevent'those c'ans from overhanging the outer'edgelofthe-= guide-bar 7lwhic'h'is supported by the same The inner end ofthe. guide-bar however is given a quarter-twist as at 7 2, and is hen-bolted down on top of the post i t on which the enes is mountedf This guide-bar Tl'theret re extendsaroundf said carrier 4 2,thereisproVidedacurved the periphery of the carrier disk QQ-and pretheir travel; 1

' to shift their;directionof travel an 1 1i10v s them arou i'i'dthe post 4 4; and onto theidisk- C rri i43. j

,ofthe darts shown in Fig; 1].

When the canshave been diverted from the ,idisk 42 t-o rdisk88 and then to disk 43, the

-guide-ban7 l again serves to keep them from v overhanging the peripheryigof the disk 43.; 1 Whilea stationary guide-plate .74 over disk 43 V v and carried on post 8 5, 'keeps the cansfin' a single file asthey travel: around with said I disk43f;

ter disk 38500 disk 46, Where thesaine form of disks tO t'he" next ,disk of the series.

-, The circuitous travel of the calls 5 i h Ca ns therefQre -t 'avel Ch f operation takes placeinftra'nster- :ring'the .filled ca-ns from the disk i to cen-'-= center'a'n'd side guides cause the cans totravel '7 in- ,acircuitous path,always following the direction of the darts and always being aided j by a portion of the center'disk 38 when trans ferring from one 1 of the annular series of I V r p through I the exh'auster'froinjone disk to anotheriwith the aid of a single center disk continues un* 3 til the cans again arrive at the, deflector-plate I i I 68,'whe're the cans then engage, the curved edge 0f the plate 68, and are returned tothe I ring-carrier :WlllCh, then conveys he cans 7 around the carrier passage orchamber to thepointv of discharge or exit where the guideplate- 52 directsthem out and vonto the disk 6l, from which they are conveyed by any. suit-Q able ineans to a place where theignext operation 1n the canning process 15 carried outis v ilar circui It is therefore to be understoodthat the filled cans enter the exhauster and are depos- .hausts the air from the canned goods and that the cans are then dlscharged and sent to a header where they are permanently closed.

T he stationary guide-plates such as70 and 74,:whicha are mounted over the several diskcarriers-are elevated above the surfaces ofthe thoroughly heat the latter.

carriers so that the steam from below may be dlrected against the cans as it It will benotedby reference to Figs. 1 and 2 that over the central disk-carrier 38, there is a guide plate 7 6 having a, series of curved edges 77 each of which curves coacts between i the center disk and two of the annular series of disks to eiiect'the transfer of the cans.

The carrier-disks 59 and 61 at the inlet and exist openings 13 and 14, are carried on vertical shafts Z8 and 79, and theseshafts have pulleys" and 81 so that belts (not shown) may be passed around said pulleys and also 3 around pulleys 82and 83 on the lower end of the main drive shaft 21in order that said shafts 78 and79 and the carrier disks 59 and 61 may be continuously revolved The machineflls designed to accommodate cans of various sizes and to prevent themfrom assuming a staggered arrangement on the outer ring-carrier .54, andthereby becoming wedged betweenthe outer, wall of the shell.

and the annular partition wall 63, thereis prO- vided an adjustable horizontal guide-rail segment 84- which latter is supported on boltbrackets 85.. which pass through the shell wall, shown injliig. 2. 1 v These segment guide rails 84 are elevated above the r ng-carrier 5d and engage the cir- Vcumference of the cans as the lattermove along with the ring-carrier provided said cans are not in proper pos tion on the'ringcarrier.

By turning on the threaded body 86,:ithe bolt-brackets may be moved. inwardlyo'r'outwardly through the shell wall andthereby adjust the position of the guide rail.

I Having described my invention, 1 claim 1. In an exhauster for canned goods the combination witha heating chamber having an inlet and an outlet for cans, of aseries of carrier disks to receive and advance the cans through the chamber and rotary means for transferring the cans from one disk of the s ries of disks to the next adjacent disk of said series of disks.

2. In an exhauster for canned'goods the combination with a heatingchamber having an inlet and an outlet for cans, ofa series of carrier disks toreceive'and advance the cans ascends, and

through the chamber and rotary means coacting with all of the disks of said series to transfer the cans from one disk to another of said series of disks.

' 3. In an exhauster for canned goods the combinationwith heating chamber having an inlet and an outlet-for cans, of a series of ca; rier disks arranged annularly 1n the chamber to advance the cans through the latter and means located within the annular series of disks for transferring the cans from one disk of the'annular series to'the next disk thereof.

i; in an exhauster for canned goods the comhinat'on wi h a heating chamber having an inlet and an outlet for cans,.of a series of carri er isks arranged annular-1y 1n the chamber to advance the cans through the latter and V ber to advance the cans through the latter, a

e center the annular series of disks for receiving the cans from one disk of the series and advancing them toward rotary disk at the next disk or the said series and guide means coacting with the center disk to direct the cans from one disk of the annular series onto the center disk and fromthe center disk onto thenext disk ofthe annular series of disks.

6. In an exhauster for canned goods the combination with a heating chamber having annular seri'es.all or" said annular series of disks discharging cans onto the center disk and means for guiding the cans from each of the disks of the annularseries onto the center disk and from the center disk onto the next disk of the annular series of disks.

7. In anv exhauster for canned goods the combination with a heating chamber having an inlet and an outlet for cans, of a ring carrier extending around the chamber to receive cans at said inlet and to deliver cans at said outlet and a series of carrier disks to receive cans from the ring carrier and advance them through the chamber and again deliver them to the said ring carrier to be conveyed to said outlet.

8. In an exhauster for canned goods the combination with a heating chamber having an inlet and an outlet for cans, of a ring car rier extending around the chamber to receive cans at said inlet and to deliver cans at said outlet, an annular se ies of rotary disks having independent axes all located Within the ring carrier, means for transferring cans from one disk of the annular series 'to' the .next adjacent disk. of. said series and means for transferring the cans fromfthe annular series of disks back onto the ring carrier to be conveyed to'the said outlet.

9. In an exhauster for canned goods the combinationwith a heating chamber having an inlet and an outlet for cans, of a: ring carr1er 7 extending around the chamber to; re- 1 I ccive cans at said inlet-andto-deliver cans at 7 said outlet, a series of rotary carrier disks to 'receive the cans from the'ring carrier and convey them in a circuitousf'route through the chamber and means for revolving the ring carrier'from the rotary disks.

10. In an exhauster for canned goods the. combination with a heating chamber having an inlet and an outletfor cans, of a ringcarf rier extending around thechamber and pass ing said inlet and outlet, an annular series-f rotary disks Whose axes are arranged inseparate vertical planes With respectito the cens ter of the ring carrier, means for transferring cans from the ring carrier to one disk ofithe annular series of disks, means at the center of all of the disks of the annular series 10f disks to transfer the cans from one disk of said annular series to the next adjacent disk of said series and means to transfer the cans said inner chamber and the outer all to form I an outer rlng carrier chamber with an opening from the latter chamber to the inner heat I i ing'chamber and with inletand outlet open- I lngs to and from the outer rlng carrier chamber'for cans, 'of a'rlng carrler 1n the outer ner heating chamber, means fortransferring for transferring cansfrom one carrier to anr otherin the inner 1chamber and'fmeans for again transferringthe cans from the'c'arrjiers in the inner chamber to the-ring in the-outer V and arranged'about thefcenter disk so that the cans from the carrier intheouterchamber to a carrier in the inner heating chamber, means I chamber to be delivered atthe outlet.

conveyed to'the outlet;

letfopenings of the shell means for transferring cansfrom the ringcarrier to the disks in the inner heating chamber and means for 1 7' transfering cans 'from'fthe series of disks .back onto the ring carrier.

' 13. In an exhauster for canned goods the combination With an annular shell o h'aving .inlet andoutlet openings for cans,ofa center carrier disk inthe ShelL'an'annular seriesofdisksjof uniform diameter arranged about thec'enter disk, means for rotating all ofthe disks in the same direction, -aring carrier" about the annular seriesofdisks andtraveh ing past the inlet and outlet openings of the Y shell, means for revolving the ring carrier- 7 in a direction reverse to that of the annular seriesof disks, means for transferring cans from the ring carriergto one diskof the an-1 nular seriesof disks,means for transferring .the cans from one .disk of the annular seriesto the next disk of said series and meansfor transferring the cans from thefannularj sef carrier-to be.

ries of disksb'ack to the ring In testimony WhereofI affix signature.

back onto the ring carrier to be delivered at said outlet. 7 'i n 11. In an exhauster for canned goods the I combination with a shell having an inner i heating chamber and a partitionqbetvveen chamber',laseries of rotary carriers in the .in-,

12.,In an exhauster for canned goods the 1 combination with an annular shell having an inlet and anoutlet for cans, of a central car T161 disk in said shell, a series of carrier disks each with its axis in. a. difierent'vertical plane I peripheries of the series'ofl-disks will allre-fl volve adjacent to the central disk, a partition in the shell between the series .of'carrierdisks andthe outer. wallof the shell to-form an in: V

ner heating chamberlin which all of-the disks I revolve, a ringcarrier revolving in thespa'ce between the partition and the outer wall -of a the'shell and traveling past the inletiandout- I 

